Energy-saving product uniquely combines brilliant LED lighting and wireless ambient sound 

Klipsch, a leading global speaker manufacturer, has been named the U.S. distributor and licensee of what is possibly the most innovative design to hit the audio industry in recent years. Winner of a 2010 CES Innovations Award, the patented Klipsch® LightSpeaker®, developed by Kadence Designs LLC., is the first product to combine efficient LED lighting and wireless ambient sound into a single unit that installs like a light bulb.

“Today’s consumers are overloaded with complex technologies, and the LightSpeaker is designed to enrich their lives without complication,” said Klipsch president Paul Jacobs. It offers brilliant light, reduces energy costs and creates a multi-room ambient music system in mere minutes. There’s no wiring, no retrofitting and no software to deal with.”

The LightSpeaker, which comes complete with a dimmable LED bulb and full-range speaker, fits 5- and 6-inch recessed light fixtures with a standard Edison socket. Upcoming accessories will allow the LightSpeaker to accommodate hanging light fixtures as well as floor and table lamps.

The speaker uses a 20 watt high-performance, low-distortion digital amplifier to deliver energy efficient sound. Furthermore, the LightSpeaker’s 2.5-inch wide dispersion driver uses digital signal processing to optimize high- and low-frequency output for a full spectrum of sound.

In order to deliver music wirelessly, the LightSpeaker relies on a standalone transmitter. A music source, such as a laptop, iPod or CD player, connects to the transmitter and it wirelessly sends the sound to the LightSpeaker. The transmitter’s 2.4GHz wireless technology accommodates up to eight LightSpeakers, equaling stereo sound in multiple rooms. You can connect two music sources to the transmitter, as well as establish two separate listening zones. The transmitter or remote will control the sources, zones, lighting levels and volume.

The LED bulb is rated for 40,000 hours of use and can last over 15 years. It also reduces daily lighting expenses by 80 percent, using 10 watts to produce light that’s bright enough to replace up to a 65 watt bulb. Unlike incandescent bulbs, the LightSpeaker LED bulb contains no mercury or halogen gases and produces almost no heat.

Ed Haase, president of Kadence Designs and acoustics engineer by trade, led the team responsible for developing the LightSpeaker. “We chose Klipsch to be our U.S. distributor because it’s a name in audio you can trust,” he says. “The brand has been around for over 60 years and finds continuous success because of its commitment to innovation and quality.”

According to Jacobs, Klipsch is completely thrilled about this opportunity. “The LightSpeaker is just an amazing product,” he notes. “It’s also exciting to work with Ed because he’s considered a legend in the custom installation business, having been one of the original co-founders of SpeakerCraft.”

A bundled package, consisting of two LightSpeakers, a transmitter, radio frequency remote, mini jack to RCA plug cable, lenses and trim, retails for $599. Single LightSpeakers are also available for $249 each. Klipsch will begin selling the LightSpeaker on klipsch.com later this month, with broader distribution slated for March.

“A LightSpeaker package eventually pays for itself, through savings on professional installation, separate audio components and energy consumption,” concluded Jacobs. “Plus you can take it with you if you move.”

LightSpeakers are for background music and not intended to replace home theater speakers.